Shōgun made history by bagging 25 Emmy nominations, surpassing every other series this year. Aside from its epic and immersive storytelling, one of its strengths lies in its portrayal of its female characters and their unique power to turn the political tides in their favour. A brilliant cast member who caught the world by storm is New Zealand-born Japanese actress Anna Sawai, the 32-year-old actress who portrayed the role of Toda Mariko. Get to know more about her with these five fun facts.
Dive into her intriguing stories. (Photo from: @annasawai)
1. Anna Sawai took on the empowering role of Naomi in Pachinko
Anna Sawai truly has an eye for strong female characters. Before she shone in her role in Shōgun, she portrayed the character of Naomi in the 2022 Apple TV+ historical drama Pachinko. The show centred on the hardships faced by Korean immigrants in 20th-century Japan.
She plays an intelligent and mysterious Harvard businesswoman who faces discrimination in the workplace. She reprises her role in the second season which was recently released on Apple TV+.
2. She was a former J-pop idol from a girl group called FAKY
Anna was a member of the J-pop girl group FAKY which debuted in 2013. She was the original leader, dancer, and one of the lead vocalists from 2013 to 2018. She left when her contract expired and was finally able to kickstart her career in acting.
Here’s some additional tea about her time with the group: she was forced to turn down an audition for a role in the 2016 film Suicide Squad because her company didn’t allow it.
3. Anna Sawai landed her first acting role at age 11
Before landing badass roles in the British crime drama television series Giri/Haji in 2019 and F9 from the Fast & Furious franchise in 2019, Anna’s first acting role was actually in the 2004 Nippon TV production of Annie. She played the sweet titular character at 11 years old. You can watch her sing a few lines of the iconic song Tomorrow in the video above.
4. She’s the lead actress in the series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
In 2023, Anna took on the lead role of Cate Randa in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters — a thrilling spin-off of the 2014 Godzilla film. It tells the compelling story of the aftermath of Godzilla’s battle and two siblings who uncover their family's connection to Monarch, a secret organisation that has known about the existence of giant monsters for generations.
The series has been renewed for a second season which will be released in 2025. For now, you can tune into the first season on Apple TV+.
5. Beyond the screen: Anna Sawai shares her beauty secrets
In the same way that Anna gives her dedication in every role she takes on, she has also diligently maintained the same skincare routine for four years. In the video with Vogue, you’ll find her using J-beauty products such as the Tatcha Water Cream for moisturising her skin and the Tatcha Lip Mask which she shares she has been using the product since shooting Shōgun to give her lips a “very cute little pink tint”.
Her biggest beauty secret is that she sleeps on her back! She never sleeps on her side to prevent waking up with a crease on her face. You can watch the full video above.
Which fun fact about Anna Sawai charmed you the most?
(Cover photos from: @annasawai, @shogunfx)
Speaking of buzzworthy actresses, check out Go Min Si in the series The Frog.
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